


Team-building Tradition

by Minuete



Series: His and Her Angst [12]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Is this considered fluff?, Light Angst, battling writer's block, post-episode s05e08 Kitsunegari, small comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 07:33:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12930516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minuete/pseuds/Minuete
Summary: Continues right after Kitsunegari





	Team-building Tradition

**Author's Note:**

> Life threw my family a rotten lemon, and we are getting back in the "new" swing of things. Trying to get back into fanfic writing, but immensely enjoying the AU and one-shot stories posted in the meantime.

A Mopey Mulder isn’t a fun Mulder to be around. She’d rather have an Energetic, Teasing, Focused, Thoughtful, or even a Snarky Mulder for the rest of the day. They made their way to the elevator to head down to the basement after discussing Linda Bowman with Skinner. Standing on opposite sides of the elevator shaft, Mulder leaned against the wall looking down at his shoes while Scully stood near the front with her arms crossed. She impulsively decided to press the “1” button for first floor once they passed the third.

“What are you doing?” Mulder asked looking up as she continued to stare at the descending floor numbers. She looked over her shoulder at him as the elevator slowed.

“We're playing hooky,” she answered just as the elevator pinged for the first floor, “Come on, Mulder.” She pulled him by his forearm, and though his demeanor seemed deflated, there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes. It was a rarity for Special Agent Dana Scully to play hooky-- before 11am no less. They were greeted with a particularly mild January weather with the sun shining brightly overhead once exiting the Hoover building.

"Alright. Where to, rebel?" Mulder asked as the two of them stood outside in front of the building.

"I dunno. I didn't think that far ahead," Scully answered honestly as she looked up at him, "Playing hooky is usually your area of expertise."

"To be fair, the Mothmen made me do it," he replied as he guided Scully with his hand on her lower back in the direction of the Reflecting Pool.

"It would've made a quieter weekend had I wrote a doctor's note about your extreme hemorrhoidal condition," Scully scoffed, "Would've saved the bureau funds on a wasted team-building seminar with their problem children."

"And have me miss out on you serenading me to sleep?" He lowered his head to be closer to her right ear and crooned, "If I were the king of the world, tell you what I'd do..." It sent a slight shiver down Scully's back that she knew Mulder felt under his guiding hand.

"Shut up, Mulder!" Scully hissed, blushing. She takes it back; she doesn't want a Teasing Mulder. Why the hell did she choose that song to sing anyway?

"It was adorable, Scully. Really, I don't think any team-building exercises ask their participants to sing to one another," he didn't let up, "a Karaoke duet, maybe. Didn't our favorite agents Stonecypher and Kinsley mention about that on our way to the airport?"

"I don't remember. I was too busy drafting the report while the three of you were carrying a conversation," Scully thought back to Mulder's snide remarks to the unsuspecting agents and chuckled, "God, Mulder, you were incorrigible!”

“I’m sure they thought I was on painkillers with the comments I made about the team-building seminar,” Mulder agreed. The two of them walked in comfortable silence until Scully abruptly stopped at an intersection to veer left.

“I have an idea of where to go,” she said looking up at Mulder as she pressed the crosswalk button. It was his turn to raise his eyebrows more out of curiosity. He had the familiar gleam in his eyes as he crossed the street. When he figured out where the two were heading, he let out a small chuckle.

“The Headless Woman?” Mulder asked, “We haven’t been back here since—“

“Since Agent Pendrell’s death,” Scully finished his sentence as she let out a small sigh, “He wouldn’t want me to associate this place with bad memories.” They entered the establishment where the staff was just getting ready to open for lunch.

“Sit anywhere you like,” the bartender shouted over to them as he quickly wiped off the bar countertop.

“Your choice, Scully,” Mulder offered as the two started walking towards the booths. Scully chose to sit at the one of pub tables, hopping up on one of the chairs while Mulder easily took a seat.

One of the waiters appeared from the back and handed them the lunch menus. Without looking, Scully requested for their tacky birthday dessert. “It’s celebratory,” she explained to the waiter, “and two iced teas, please.” She looked back at Mulder once the waiter left to see a confused expression on his face.

“What exactly are we celebrating, Scully?” he asked as he leaned back on his chair.

“Life, Mulder. You caught the bad guy, it’s over.” He shook his head slightly at this remark, his expression turning somber as he adjusted himself and hunched over the table, arms folded.

“I almost killed you, Scully. _Again_ ,” he emphasized looking at her with guilt, “The image Linda Bowman conjured up…” Mulder didn’t continue his train of thought as the waiter returned with their drinks. Scully grabbed hold of his right hand with hers across the table and gently squeezed.

“But you didn’t, Mulder. You believed me when I told you what she was doing. If anything, I did a poor job at spouting personal details. ‘Your mother’s name is Teena. Your sister’s name is Samantha’? We’ve been partners for 5 years and that’s the best I could do?”

“In your defense, Scully, you were under extreme duress having your partner aim his gun at you."

“Alright then. Here’s to tradition,” she replied and let go to grab her drink as their dessert came complete with the tacky sparklers.

“Tradition…?”

“Here’s to us pointing our guns at each other,” She clanked her iced tea glass on Mulder’s before taking a sip.

“Jesus, Scully. I don’t think I like commemorating this,” Mulder grimaced as he absentmindedly rubbed his left shoulder staring at the dessert, “but you’re right. It’s become a fucking tradition.” He finally looked up to see Scully smiling at him as she stirred her iced tea. “What?”

“I don't know, Mulder. I think the gun-pointing-at-each-other enforces the strength of our partnership. It demonstrates that, despite the paranoia or the mind fucks, we still trust each other to not cause the other harm,” she explained as she took a spoon to the ice cream before making a gesture towards his shoulder, "Well, besides my clean shot."

“You’re suggesting it’s _our_ annual team-building exercise?”

“I’m suggesting that you help me finish this, and pay this fine establishment. My impulsive action left me without my purse.” Scully placed the spoonful of ice cream into her mouth and caught an expression on Mulder’s face that she never noticed before. A mixture of appreciation underlying with something else she couldn't describe.

Mulder pressed his lips together as he studied her a moment longer, then acquiesced, "Thanks for this...perspective, Scully." He shoved a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth, "Here's to tradition."


End file.
